Dead Shot Duck

Story Time

I don't own kfp
The goose yawned and dragged his aching back down the hall. Cracking his stiff neck, he couldn't get any rest for his body. He's the servant. The head servant. Trusted with all the knowledge and duties that the masters had no time to do. Or simply didn't want to do.

And ever since the golden son was... taken away, the goose began to wonder if it was the latter.

His worn webbed feet walked along the small barracks' wooden floor. There was only one person here now. The goose didn't really have to be here, but the kitchen must be stocked. As the goose passed the only room with a person in it, he heard something.

Sniff Sniff Sniff

Sniffles. The goose sighed. Another hard training session ended with the master being too hard on the young learner.

The goose shook his head. He had no business getting into her emotional problems, even if he was a servant for everyone on the Jade Palace grounds. "No, it's not right," He whispered. Or he thought he whispered.

"Who's there?" came an armed yet weary voice from the room.

"It-It's me, Zeng, Master Tigress," said the goose. She wasn't a master yet, but the goose didn't feel comfortable calling her anything else. She was talented and sweet, much more than her predecessor. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm... I'm fine, Zeng. Just... leave me alone."

Zeng shut his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he ventured into the tiger's domain. She started to growl, "Zeng, I said-"

"M-M-M-Master Tigress, you don't look well," Zeng replied. "Is something wrong?"

"I... don't want to talk about it." She was leaning on her cot, arms crossed with her head buried. Her brown garment, a copy of what Master Shifu wore, looked like it had a new tear that Zeng would have to mend. The young tiger's eyes were red.

The goose sighed, "Rough training?"

Tigress didn't answer.

"I-I-I know it's not my place to say this, but... you really are a good student, Master Tigress."

"You're right, it's not your place to say it," Tigress grumbled. "Being a master takes everything, Zeng. I need to be perfect for... to protect the valley."

"It-It-It seems like you're m-more than capable of that, Master Tigress."

"It's... not good enough. I'll never be good enough," Tigress shut her eyes. "That's what Master Shifu said. If I can't perform better, I'll never be good enough." She reburied her head into her arms.

Zeng sighed. Oogway or Shifu should be doing this but ever since Tai Lung left, Shifu had become a very fickled person to deal with, and Oogway seemed to do little else but talk with the universe. Shifu demanded more from everyone, even Zeng. It was part of the reason why his back was-

"Argh," Zeng grunted, popping a sore spot in his back.

Tigress lifted her head. "Are you okay?"

"Y-y-yes, just some... late night duties that Master Shifu wanted me to do... again."

"I'm... sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault, Master Tigress," Zeng smiled with a nervous tint. Tigress offered a small smile of her own but went back to her miserable head-burying. "I know I don't know much about Kung Fu, but I do know that... being good enough is over-rated."

"Why?" She said with a cute muffled voice. Zeng stifled a snigger from the sound.

"Because if you're good enough, that's all you'll ever be. Just... good enough. If you try to get perfect... well, I don't think perfect is really something you can get," Zeng said. Tigress lifted her head with a frown. "But-But-But, I know you can be better than perfect. It's better to be reliable than perfect." He sat on the side of her cot. The full moon shone through the open window. "And you can't be reliable if you don't get some sleep."